Flood on the Turf

In a recent interview on Radio Lancashire with Tony Livesey, Clarets director, Brendan Flood made it clear about the Club's intentions surrounding Turf Moor.

There had been some rumours, that we would be moving away from the ground to a new stadium. However, it would seem there was no intention to do so in the short term with Turf Moor appearing to have a bright future with significant investment intended.

Flood was quoted as saying the following in the Livesey interview

'We don't want to move the ground, that would be too big a change and the location is not too bad. It is two thirds a quality product and we need to finish that third off, modernise the bits that need it, get the economy of the club better, and bring revenue in other than a Saturday afternoon.

'We are not looking at retail uses that wouldn't be appropriate. We are looking at doing a much better superstore, bringing in a broader base community and leisure focus to the stadium with some business enterprises built into it. We are working on the right mix, we've taken some consultation with the council and we've got some good feed back. We feel we are on the right lines, and we are just ironing out the right bits and pieces and should have the recipe to get on with it in three to four weeks.

'It would be significant ground development, face changing but not club changing. It will give us something comfortable for the next thirty years. The areas for improvement are obvious. The cricket field stand and the Bob Lord stand are older stands and the areas we are looking at. They are the outfacing stands and could change the face of the club'

It would appear there is an intention to integrate with the cricket club and it might not be too long before we finally see the horror that is the Cricket Field Stand finally demolished. The unpainted rotten wooden seats could soon be a thing of the past. No longer would the players have to suffer dodgy plumbing in the changing rooms and the Club would I am sure like to lose the claim to having the second smallest changing room in the Football League!

One can imagine that the teams might eventully come out from a new revamped Bob Lord Stand with the Clarets being able to avoid the taunts of the away end as they trot out onto the pitch!

Very good times are ahead, it would seem with Brendan Flood rapidly becoming our financial saviour. It's a comfort to those traditionalists amongst the Clarets fans, who would have shed quite a few tears if we had lost our sentimental attachment to the Turf after all these years!

Well done Brendan, as a fellow Rossendalian you are making us all proud and happy Clarets!

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